WITCHES OF WOLF CREEK: TRUTH

Chapter 11: Sixine

"Sixine?"

Just hearing him say my name makes my hair stand up on my skin, causing a shiver that runs through me from head to toe. My mind takes me back to what I felt when my eyes locked onto his, to my body quivering after that encounter, and to that overwhelming feeling that gripped my chest.

As if time had stood still.

As if this whole situation was only meant to make me meet this man.

This wolf.

What’s happening to me?

Despite the darkness in this underground corridor, I can make out his silhouette and his green gaze as if we were in broad daylight. He stares at me, a certain interest displayed on his divine features, eager to hear me ask him more questions.

"Do you know where they took Eli?" I ask, my tone strangely softer than usual. "It’s getting late..."

"Cooper. They took her to Cooper," he tells me hoarsely.

"The Alpha?"

"Himself."

What could he possibly want with her to make it take so long? What if he tortured her? What if he had already executed her?

A strange light, a mixture of sadness and resentment, crosses the boreal shades of the eyes of my cell neighbour.

But of course! It was the Alpha who had him imprisoned, too!

"Why are you here?"

"High treason."

"But why are you really here?"

"Politics, influences, power. It is complicated."

Obviously, he doesn’t want to go over this ground. Yet it would allow us to learn more about this community that ensures our disappearance. It seems to be even more hierarchical than that of the vampires, and at least as rigid as our covens.

"Please tell me..."

He resists for a fraction of a second before giving in.

"I disobeyed an order from the Alpha."

"An important order?"

"I freed three wolves from the Virginia pack, including a scout. They had been captured on Cooper’s orders; he thought he was solving a case of disappearances – she-wolves have been vanishing every full moon. Not only do they not return to the pack, but they also leave no trace. They evaporate..."

"Why did you release them if they had information about these disappearances?"

’They would have succumbed in the end when they knew nothing at all about it. If you had attended these torture sessions, you would have understood that no one can withstand such suffering, not even a wolf. And I knew one of them. They kept swearing they didn’t understand what we were talking about. It couldn’t go on. I couldn’t stand my Alpha finishing off innocent people, so I freed them."

His eyes were dull. He acted on his convictions and yet he pays a high price.

"But why are you here? You don’t have any legal proceedings?"

His eyes widen, as if I had just read him the dictionary.

"No trial?" I clarified my question.

"Let’s just say my brother…"

"Your brother?"

"I am a Bretton. Cooper – the Alpha – is my brother."

"It’s horrible to do such things to a family member!"

’Don’t take it that way, Sixine. He does his best. You can’t imagine how difficult it is to combine family and responsibilities..."

I would have preferred to give up my status as a lawyer rather than convict Eli and Neeve, so how can her brother impose that on him? And why does Jaxson accept it with such resignation?

I look into his eyes, swearing wordlessly that I’ll be there no matter what. Silences are often more eloquent than empty words. They call for neither response nor challenge, they simply confirm the truth.

"And you?" he continues. "Why are you here?"

"We come from a pack settled further north. We thought we would find asylum here before leaving, but we were mistaken."

"You are not like the others."

Normally, I would have been flattered to stand out, but there, Jaxson’s words are not reassuring.

"What makes you say that?"

"I don’t know. There’s something unusual about you… Your smell, your gestures, your… aura."

Shit! Is it that obvious?

We could indeed have inquired a little more before taking refuge in a community known to be ruthless, but still! That said, we got caught so quickly that we didn’t have time to agree on what to do as wolves. In the end, we’re not doing too badly! Well, except to consider that we are prisoners and that Eli was taken from us, of course.

"You think?"

He stares at me. The dancing gleams of his irises penetrate me, probe me, undress me. Without him saying a word, I feel his desire as he gazes into the silvery glow of my eyes and a dimple forms on his left cheek. If we had met elsewhere, this guy would have been my type! Why does he have to be from another supernatural community? We don’t mix...

Torn between two emotions, I lose the train of my thoughts. It’s Eli I should be worrying about, and yet I’m irresistibly drawn to Jaxson, whose slightest movement, slightest expression distracts me from my goals.

"How are you feeling?"

"A little better, sweetie," he says, causing my cheeks to blush. "But I should be asking you the question. So?"

"Let’s say that the company could be worse."

Despite the few bruises on his face, he laughs loudly, before resting his captivating gaze on me.

"But you flirt with me, in fact!" he laughs, giving me his irresistible smile.

I probably wouldn’t have phrased it that way, but it sounds like flirtation on my part.

"Maybe..." I say, mischievous.

Suddenly, a door slams, accompanied by an excruciating creak. Someone is coming.

"Stand up in there!"

"You take care of Jaxson, I take care of the girls."

It’s the beefy clones, Tyler and Emmitt.

At the sound of their voices, Neeve emerges from the slumber she fell into just after Elinor left and presses herself inches from the bars to watch them. She has them in her sights, that’s obvious. Maybe for once, rather than getting her in trouble, her charms could give us an advantage.

Tyler clicks the key in the lock, then grabs each of us vigorously by the upper arm to lead us out of the cell.

Jaxson is silent. He knows what awaits us, and to see his tense features, it’s not engaging. He too was forced out of his cell by Emmitt.

We move through corridors bathed in darkness. There are no windows or openings to the outside in this den, which suggests, as I suspected, that we are underground, or in a rock structure. In other circumstances, I would have appreciated this comfortable place, built according to modern standards, with noble and natural materials. The smooth stone floor, the panelled walls that alternate with the stone walls, and the recycled wood light fixtures. However, I feel trapped there, vulnerable. The absence of openings reminds me that here no escape is possible and that we are subject to the will of our jailers. Invisible to the rest of the world, of course, but captive...

"Say, you know how to create suspense!"

Certainly, nothing impresses Neeve, not even the suffocating grip of this giant which crushes my arm.

"Come on, guys, I know you’re cool deep down. So where are we going?" she continues, determined to learn more.

"See Cooper," Tyler whispers, apparently troubled by Neeve’s proximity.

Here we are. So we’re going to meet the leader of that community and find out what happened to Eli. We will be discovered. While I only aspired to get answers, I am now paralyzed. What if this interview rushed us towards our end? Despite what Jaxson told me, her brother doesn’t seem like a sweetheart. I’m curious to see how the wolves dispense justice, especially since there’s no doubt that our impromptu visit violated some fundamental rules.

We don’t mix...

A kind of clamour spreads from the end of the corridor. Growls, altercations and voices intertwine in a low growl that gets closer as we progress. Finally, we stop in front of monumental double doors whose ornate style is unmistakably reminiscent of a courtroom.

Tyler pushes them hard and makes a masterful entrance, while Emmitt, still clutching Jaxson’s wrist, pulls him forward. The dense crowd immediately fell silent, watching our arrival attentively, all united by the same vindictiveness that shines in their eyes. I recognize Jake, the wolf who brought us to the den. He’s next to a woman with long brown hair, her arms lovingly wrapped around his waist. A little behind sits a huge red wolf. His stature and charisma are impressive, I wouldn’t like to have to face him. However, while he displays the confidence of an adored monarch, his eyes of pure gold – the depth of which recalls that of Jaxson – betray his doubts and his feverishness. Everything suggests that these two would have preferred to settle this dispute in private, rather than under the control of their peers who apparently are only waiting for one thing: a spectacular execution.

As if the assembly were waiting for a signal, a wave of boos swept over us. The screams assail us from all sides, pouring out without restriction, as we cross the cave in a narrow corridor of undulating flesh lined with hostile wolves. I have never felt so exposed.

"That’s enough."

Silence falls immediately, without this voice even needing to rise. This voice is that of the Alpha.

"Come closer," orders Cooper in a firm and calm tone.

Trembling as a leaf, I move forward, supported by Tyler whose grip now serves as a crutch. A little further, Jaxson steps forward and lowers his eyes, his chin almost buried in his chest in a sign of submission.

"Who are you?" the Alpha asks us.

"I’m Neeve, and she’s Sixine," my says, pointing at us in turn.

’That’s not what I’m asking you. Where are you from, what are you doing in our territory?"

Our answers didn’t convince him, yet we have no others to provide. What he wants to know, he already knows. As for the rest, we will not reveal it to him under any circumstances, so…"

"Where’s Eli?" I can’t help but ask.

He stares at me, angry and amazed to see that I stand up to him, despite the fear that has totally invaded me. Recklessness wraps me in its veil of audacity and I continue:

"We won’t tell you more until we know how Eli is."

Outraged murmurs spread through the crowd. They apparently aren’t used to having their boss answered like that. They will have to get used to it. Or not…"

"This information is critical," Tyler grumbles.

"Without Eli, I won’t tell you."

"It will have to be, however," states Cooper. "Rest assured, Elinor is doing like a charm, or almost. It hasn’t been easy, but she’s resting. Her body is gradually recovering from its excesses. Everything will be fine now."

What did he just say? A charm? Is it fortuitous or is it a subtle way of letting us know that he knows who we are?

He pauses, then turns to Jaxson whose chin is still glued to his chest.

"Jaxson, my brother, your behavior has disappointed me…"

Jaxson doesn’t make a move. He remains frozen in this posture of submission, not even trying to defend himself, as if, whatever he might say, everything was a foregone conclusion.

Jaxson remains hopelessly still. Why does he wallow in such silence?

"You will easily understand that I can not tolerate this kind of behaviour. Even from you. Especially coming from you."

Is this a form of trial that we are witnessing? Why doesn’t Jaxson fight back? What will happen to him?

Shit! My aversion to injustice resurfaces, amplified by the inequity of our own situation and the prospect of losing this man when I’m barely discovering him. But what’s wrong with me?

"So my sentence is as follows. Despite the love I have for you, my brother, you are therefore condemned..."

"Wait!"

I couldn’t restrain myself, and this word escaped me like an objection during a trial.

Cooper turns away from Jaxson and stares at me, frowning. Amazement gripped the room. It’s now so quiet that I only hear my heart beating in my ears and yet I continue in a hasty voice:

"Is this how impartiality is guaranteed in your pack? Where we come from, it implies that the defence can express itself. For the past few hours, I’ve heard your brother swearing you unwavering allegiance. He never stopped defending you and explaining his imprisonment, justifying your severity and accepting your decision."

My words leave him puzzled. Doubt creeps into him.

"Do you know what led him to disobey you? Did you try to understand it? Or do you prefer to conceal these elements to bring down your sentence as quickly as possible?"

Cooper watches me, a strange light crosses his eyes. I drive the point home:

"Are you so lacking in confidence in your justice that you have to execute your brother without warning? Is it at the cost of such iniquity that you want to go down in history?"

With a wave of his hand, he orders me to be quiet.

I look at Jaxson who hasn’t blinked and is still staring at the floor. The Alpha raises his voice:

"I hear your words, Sixine. Know that I never considered pronouncing a sentence that could put an end to his life, as you nevertheless seem convinced. I considered pronouncing his exile."

He is now rubbing his chin, giving the impression of thinking. Earlier, I would have been willing to bet that this guy’s life was a series of instinctive actions and reactions, but I finally realize that he has the wisdom of a leader.

"Your argument "although misplaced "just saved him the worst," he continues. "I’m happy that he confided to you what he finds so difficult to tell me. His loyalty will therefore be put to the test. Take advantage of this chance, my brother. Next time, it will not be exile, but death that will be pronounced, if you persist in rebelling. Tyler, Emmitt, escort these ladies back to their quarters. As for Jaxson," he continues, pointing to his brother with an astonishingly tender gesture, "I’m not going to get my hands dirty with his blood yet, I still have way too much under my claws. You know what to do..."

"Cooper!" Emmitt calls out. "My cousin and I have a request."

"I’m listening to you."

"We would like the wolf named Neeve to be in our close custody."

Cooper’s gaze filled with mischief. A thin smirk forms on his face. He seems to have understood the intentions of the two men, as I myself have just done. My eyes shift to Neeve, who frowns.

"Not even in your dreams!" she says. "You had your chance, you didn’t take it. And until I see Elinor, don’t even look at me!"

Tyler walks over to her slowly. Neeve shrugs, unimpressed.

Cooper gets up, and silence suddenly falls in the large room.

The Alpha pushes Tyler aside and stands in front of Neeve, towering over her. He stares at her and inhales her scent. Neeve, who remembers having to play her wolf role, raises her face and offers her neck in submission. Her composure impresses me.

"Submit me like the wolves of your pack," Neeve tells him, "leave me to your henchmen if it pleases you, but let me see Elinor!"

The end of her sentence is said with such determination that a breath of dismay again crosses the assembly. Definitely, wolves are not used to standing up to their leader. Will this one end up chastising us for the liberties we take? But no, Cooper seems rather amused and leans over Neeve.

"Who are you?" he growls.

His deep voice sends shivers down my spine. Neeve doesn’t look down.

"Wolves of the North."

"That’s wrong, I know that. No northern wolf carries this scent."

"We were considered unusual in our pack, which is exactly what scared us away."

"Unusual? And how?"

Neeve shrugs.

"We didn’t want any of the wolves in our pack. Our Alpha banished us because we didn’t fulfil our role as breeders."

"A very archaic way of thinking," Cooper replies with a sneer, thus proving that he doesn’t believe a word of it.

Could it be that his pack has strong bonds with other packs and our lies are in vain?

"You don’t choose your pack," Neeve replies.

"Perhaps you do," Cooper adds enigmatically.

The Alpha sighs, then goes back to his seat. His voice rises, powerful and hoarse:

"I will never let anyone hurt Elinor again. Here’s everything you need to know, Neeve of the North."

My friend rolls her eyes. I too felt the devotion in the words of the Alpha. This fails to soften me, but he adds:

"Tyler, Emmitt, obey your Alpha’s order about Jaxson. Then you will take this girl wherever you want."